City of Las Cruces senior activity fee hikes possible

Sage Café may see soft opening in November

LAS CRUCES >> A proposal to update the fee schedule for senior activities -- including possible increases -- is under consideration, city staff told councilors Monday.

Also, the city council heard that the proposed Sage Café and community center near Porter Road and U.S. 70 is on the verge of opening.

For senior programs, city staff are working on a proposed new fee schedule, David Dollahon, city neighborhood services administrator, said.

"Our last fee schedule was updated in 1984," he said during a city work session Monday.

Dollahon clarified that some fees have increased since then, but the schedule as a whole hasn't been adjusted.

A resolution with the proposed fee changes is likely to go before the council for a vote by the end of the year.

Various senior programs and services have different costs to users, Dollahon said. And, depending on the funding sources for the activity, the cost can vary by a person's age.

The city gets voluntary contributions for certain senior services, a pool of funding that took a hit during the economic recession, Dollahon said. Last year, for instance, the pool was about $209,000 out of a total budget of about $1.75 million, but in 2010, it was just $87,000.

Other money stems from federal and state governments and the city's own coffers, he said.

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The range of services includes home meal delivery and classes such as tai chi and paper maché.

Sage Café

Asked about the status of a proposed Sage Café, Dollahon said inspections by the state health department will happen this week and a temporary business registration may also be issued this week. That sets up the proposed restaurant for a soft opening around mid-November and for "a full opening with full services around the end of the year," he said.

The café, located at 6121 Reynolds Drive, is next to the city's East Mesa swimming pool. It will be a "true community center," Dollahon said.

"We're going to have a private food vendor, and we're going to have services from parks and recreation, senior programs and the library," he said.

Pleddie Baker, Chairman of the Senior Programs Advisory Board, questioned councilors about a rumor that had been circulating that the Safe Café was in need of a zoning change to operate.

Dollahon said there will be a zoning modification needed because the proposed vendor wants to operate the café for hours beyond the city's typical business hours. But for now, he said, a temporary business permit will be issued.

"We have a temporary solution in place until that is brought forward," he said of the zone change.

Dollahon said the city isn't releasing the vendor's name until it passes all the required inspections.

Baker said in general, the city has one of the best senior programs in the state. Still, he said, he's hoping for improved communication between the advisory board and city officials.

El Paso Electric Co.

El Paso Electric Co. executives told city councilors they're on track to open a new solar-generating power facility near Deming, called Macho Springs, in May 2014.

The company supplies electricity to all of Doña Ana County and to the El Paso region across the state line.

Also, the company is planning to install four new quick-start power generators between 2014 and 2017 at an El Paso plant to boost its capacity, said Steve Buraczyk, vice president for power marketing and fuels and resource planning for El Paso Electric Co.

In all, the company is planning to spend about half a billion dollars on power generation and distribution over the next five years, officials said.

Monday's city council meeting was a work session, meaning no actions were taken.

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